Carriage shift for typewriters



R. A. LOOMIS.

CARRIAGE SHIFT FOR TYPEWRITERS. APPLICATION man mm, 1921.

Patented Apr. 18, 1922.

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lCARRiA GE SHIFT FOR TYPEWBITERSa T 0 all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, RooKwnLL A. LOOMIS,

' :a citizen 10f the United States,.residing Retalhuleu, in the Republicof Guatemala,

Central America, have invented certain new and useful, Improvements in Carrlage'shifts for Typewriters, of which the following is a specification, reference being to the. accompanying drawings. I

This invention relates to carriage shifts for typewriters and has for an object to provide means for utilizing some member'of the had therein body for. shifting the carriage of atypewriter, notv normally provided for in the make of the typewriter, as ordinarily manufactured. V 7 1 It is well known that the present .day typewriter provides for the writing of capital and lower case characters by the shifting of the platen, or carriage, relative to the point of printing,tor reversely, the shifting of the battery of type bars relative to the carriage. -T he shifting is ordinarily accomplished by keys similar to theprinting keys located in the bank of keys, by depressing which theshifting of the carriage or the battery of type bars is accomplished. The depressing ofthis shift-key is ordinarily accomplished by the finger of the operator,

whereby the speed of operating is decreased,

employing as it does a finger actionwhi'ch might otherwise be employed on. a printing key. 7 v

The present invention provides for the shifting by members of; the body otherthan the finger, specifically as shown in the drawing by the movement of the knee, although it is to be understood that the present invention is not so limited.

With these and other objects in View the invention comprises certain novel units, elements, parts, mechanical movements and combinations, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective-view of one corner of a conventional typewriter supported upon a table with one embodiment of the invention applied thereto; 8 I

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the invention and a fragment of a typewriter;

Figure 3 is a view of the invention in edge elevationattached, and Q I Figure 4 is a perspective view of the clamping mechanism.

Specification of Letters Patent; Patented A131; 18, 122 2- 7 Application filed April 8, I i

19:21. seri l vo. 459,652. Y

T, GEFEQE. I V

I Q'Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout: the several ,VleWS4. v v

The exact type and. design of the invention which forms the subject-matter of' 'this application will depend upon theproportion andrelation ofgthe several typewriter parts, asffor instance the formation of the frame to which the device is .attachedand the relation of the shift key to the frame,

the device being mechanically varied-to correspond, therefore, with different "makes 7 and models of machines. The disclosure in the drawing .is not intended as disclosing the inventionexcept by-wayof illustration,

. and theainivention is'not limited tonthe precise mechanical features there disclosed. For the purpose of illustration, however, a typewriter hastbeen conventionally shown at 10 supported upon a table 11. To the fr'ont framepart of the typewriter a clamp member, shown as an entirety atFigure 4:, is applied. This clamp comprises a' fulcrum :member 12 and a keeperlS hingedtogether at 14 with a screw:15 inserted through perforations 16 for-exerting tension between the keeper 13 and the fulcrum member 12, with a portion; of the typewriter frame '10 therebetween, as indicated -more-particularly at: Figure "As will be noted, the

hinge 14 is below the. bar of V the frame 10 sand the fulcrum member. provides upstanding the carriage shift in the usual well-Q known manner.

To actuate the rock bar 18 a lever 21 is pivoted to the fulcrum member 12 at 22 and ing ears 17 for pivotinga rockbar18." The 7 is provided with a cam extremity 23 bearing beneath a cam hook 24 on the rockbar 18. It will be apparent, therefore, that as the lever 21 is moved from full line position to dotted line position (Figure 2) theaction of the cam 23 on the cam 24 will be to depress the rock bar 18, as hereinbefore mentioned. The movement of thelever 21 in the 25 on the lever 21 to be engaged by the knee of the operator for moving the lever as indicated, relying upon the spring actuation of the key 20 to return the parts to normal or full line position.

It will be apparent, therefore, that by oscillating the lever 21 upon its fulcrum 22 the rock bar 18 will be oscillated upon its pivot 17 to alternately depress the key 20 and permit its returning to normal. This oscillation will be accomplished by the particular type of device shown in the drawings by the knee, as stated, which leaves the hands and fingers of the operator free for actuating the printing keys as usual. In this manner the speed of the operator is very greatly enhanced, while fatigue is relieved by making use of a greater number of members of the body for accomplishing the ac tuation of the mechanical parts.

While the term carriage shift has been employed in this specification, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the actual shifting of the carriage itself, but applicable as well to that type of machines wherein the shift key accomplishes the shifting of the battery of type bars, as well as to that type of machine where the shift key actually shifts the carriage or platen and includes any and all shifting which accomplishes a change of capacity .of the machine in writing classes of types of characters, as for instance, a shift from lower case letters to capitals, or any usual change within the practice of typewriting as now understood or as -may hereinafter be presented.

, lVhat I claim to be new is:

1. The combination with a typewriter embodying a shift key, of 'a rock bar fulcrumed to the typewriter structure and bearing upon the key, a lever fulcrumed to the typewriter structure and depending below into position to be engaged by the knee of the operator and cam connection between the lever and the rock bar, whereby the actuation of the lever is translated into rocking motion of the rock bar.

2. The combination with a typewriter embodying a front rail and a shift key in the rear of the rall, of a rock bar pivoted to and extending transversely across the rail and bearing upon the key, a lever fulcrumed to and swinging in a plane substantially parallel with the rail and perpendicular to the rock bar, and means to translate the move ment of the lever into key-depressing movement of the rock bar.

3. The combination with a typewriter embodying a front rail and a shift key in the rear of the rail,of a rock bar pivoted to and extending transversely across the rail and bearing upon the key, a lever 'fulcrumed to and swinging in a plane substantially parallel with the rail and perpendicular tothe rock bar, and a cam carried by the lever to translate the movement of the lever into key depressing movement of the rock bar.

l. The combination with a typewriter em- 'bodying a front rail and a shift key in the rear of the rail, a block clamped to the rail, '1

a rock bar pivoted to the block and extend ing transversely above and-acrossth'e rail and bearing upon the key, a lever fulcrumed to the front of the block and swinging in'a plane substantially parallel with the rail and perpendicular to the rock bar, and means to translate the movement of the lever into key-depressing movement of the rock bar.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my I signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ROCKWELL A. LOOMIS. lVitnesses:

HERNDON WV. Goron'rn, DANIEL A. HUssEY. 

